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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i> <span style="color:white">R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America</span></i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color:white"> For Immediate Release</span></i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color:white"> January 25, 2021</span></i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Phone: 406-252-2516; <a href="mailto:r-calfusa@r-calfusa.com" target="_blank">
r-calfusa@r-calfusa.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">View and share this news release on Facebook <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001b7H3eUwWBoe8Tbg_POyhFg2QvOlQf25k1jjQ-aTSgp5Ps9zEPVvdJaqwL637nl0SHE6jHuMXWmQCMXDLNZQ7mAFrQSlTeYoQpLeozK-J3zqvHSrC_n5lEq3DuUefVlS7rDR8l11e9nf03njO-fn93-Qv7BQm013yn7JdT49gGZU4pn_iMThqpxaeRcVJvtY8vjldlknhOoyOtqNt2Wji4x8a5BbI3ewJ&c=tczgkd7sV-XKoCD01f4umkLaB7NsBhQMDZlPW2DeZ44CPPTt180qjQ==&ch=FAdFUnIoN4zWi2cMN9hPLRuEL5po0DSIm9grgMfzQ9kHLr6LMDXBdA==" target="_blank">here.</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Click <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001b7H3eUwWBoe8Tbg_POyhFg2QvOlQf25k1jjQ-aTSgp5Ps9zEPVvdJaqwL637nl0S1hl3A8zs05x8TxvBGwTaeBcevERm3xIqEpNRU4-BwcLtkmen_0-5tipp2Lhe08w2g02k7IVgLBa70o-8X8EIynn7tQw4LiEIRBZqIipTOmNfFX_Te36XeEKmWZwczYuYy55BCZF8SlTZgqncQnNTr7nZFAF0YHbQqhKsLDjb-3oZIprkkuLOp_TFtvwtTnboDxlO6xt2YIk=&c=tczgkd7sV-XKoCD01f4umkLaB7NsBhQMDZlPW2DeZ44CPPTt180qjQ==&ch=FAdFUnIoN4zWi2cMN9hPLRuEL5po0DSIm9grgMfzQ9kHLr6LMDXBdA==" target="_blank">
here</a> to view the web version.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ranch Group Applauds Made in America Executive Order; Asks for m-COOL</b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Billings, Mont. -</b> Today, R-CALF USA <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001b7H3eUwWBoe8Tbg_POyhFg2QvOlQf25k1jjQ-aTSgp5Ps9zEPVvdJaqwL637nl0S4aCTRyw-3fVHjNdqnY7lCC_V0QcZU5yP1vIEyDA4fbIarqtJnuRyhbuZDPdeCTMXZDFs2cj16yTVEAmEEUkS4LFSJEMdECl_-bHHXBYKqeohRc2x9-FlUBOMvi663N7V0Yj-deizlTskR5FzVSc5_nJTPyae2YQElMsCpsT4Z2uFguydaZxKmqdg_34HRcqmNIcySxJvOCPNF999FjfQ395HsN7rJ_hJTT7URKjwLwI-72m32dJw7g==&c=tczgkd7sV-XKoCD01f4umkLaB7NsBhQMDZlPW2DeZ44CPPTt180qjQ==&ch=FAdFUnIoN4zWi2cMN9hPLRuEL5po0DSIm9grgMfzQ9kHLr6LMDXBdA==" target="_blank">
sent a letter</a> supporting President Biden's Executive Order signed today on Made in America. The letter in its entirety states:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">"Dear Mr. President:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On behalf of America's independent cattle farmers and ranchers we applaud your "Made in America" Executive Order signed today that strengthens buy American provisions and ensures the future of America is made in America by all of America's
workers.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Please know, however, the single largest segment of American agriculture comprised of three-quarters of a million family farmers and ranchers - the U.S. live cattle industry - can neither assist you in carrying out your Order nor benefit
at all from your Order. That is because the product produced from their cattle - U.S.-born, -raised, and -harvested beef - is no longer distinguishable from imported beef or beef from imported cattle following Congress' repeal of the U.S. mandatory country
of origin labeling law (m-COOL) for beef in 2015.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Therefore, until your Administration and/or Congress reinstates m-COOL law for beef, your Order as it may apply to directing American-sourced beef for federal procurement programs, including school lunches, will remain untenable and recipients
of such programs will as likely as not be receiving beef sourced exclusively from foreign cattle. Even when beef is affixed with a voluntary "Product of U.S.A." label, that label denotes only that the product has received minimal processing in the U.S., such
as being unwrapped from its original package and re-wrapped in a new package.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">America's hard-working family cattle farmers and ranchers deserve the opportunity for both their government and America's consumers to choose to purchase beef from cattle exclusively born, raised and harvested in the United States. We have
drafted proposed legislation to accomplish this important goal and would be pleased to share it with you at your request.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">R-CALF USA is the largest producer-only cattle trade association in the United States and we wish to work with you to ensure that America's family-owned cattle farms and ranches can participate in building a future for America where Americans
can choose to purchase American beef, an action that will strengthen America's domestic food supply chain."<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i>R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America) is the largest producer-only lobbying and trade association representing U.S. cattle producers. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring
the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. Visit <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001b7H3eUwWBoe8Tbg_POyhFg2QvOlQf25k1jjQ-aTSgp5Ps9zEPVvdJZHfhay0m4TB9crBREGR1NrB3Y36n2eP7bbNU3obo13SnRHVA_wCi3rZtZ7YCw2Gx10FmeTLtk3L9qGgD_y2WvuiwbwGmyfsoo39K7-RjZj22ciFFeSXPzQ=&c=tczgkd7sV-XKoCD01f4umkLaB7NsBhQMDZlPW2DeZ44CPPTt180qjQ==&ch=FAdFUnIoN4zWi2cMN9hPLRuEL5po0DSIm9grgMfzQ9kHLr6LMDXBdA==" target="_blank">www.r-calfusa.com</a> or,
call 406-252-2516 for more information.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> CTCField <ctcfield-bounces@lists.citizenstrade.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Arthur Stamoulis<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 25, 2021 5:12 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> CTC Field Field <ctcfield@lists.citizenstrade.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [CTC] Statements on today's Buy American order<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Several statements below...</i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://teamster.org/2021/01/made-in-america-executive-order-takes-necessary-steps-toward-strengthening-economy/">https://teamster.org/2021/01/made-in-america-executive-order-takes-necessary-steps-toward-strengthening-economy/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:28.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50;text-transform:uppercase">MADE IN AMERICA EXECUTIVE ORDER TAKES NECESSARY STEPS TOWARD STRENGTHENING ECONOMY<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#010D50;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Press Contact: Galen Munroe</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#010D50"> Phone:
(202) 439-7427 Email: <a href="mailto:gmunroe@teamster.org">gmunroe@teamster.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><i><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#010D50;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">EO Establishes Path to Review and Reform Buy American Policies to Close Procurement Loopholes, Limit Waivers Under Buy American Process </span></i></b><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50">(WASHINGTON) – The Teamsters Union applauds President Biden’s efforts to reform and strengthen Buy American policies through the Made in America Executive Order signed today. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50">The Made in America Executive Order will set in motion a series of reforms to current federal procurement policies that are designed to eliminate the excessive and unnecessary use of
foreign suppliers through trade-pact waivers. These waivers, which can be used to procure goods from 60 countries that are U.S. trade partners, have allowed billions of tax dollars to be spent overseas rather than with American suppliers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50">“The Made in America Executive Order is an important step toward ensuring that our tax dollars are invested in American manufacturing which in turn, strengthens our economy,” said Teamsters
General President James P. Hoffa. “American workers can out-produce and out-perform any other workforce in the world when given the opportunity. By closing loopholes and reforming the government procurement system, we can make sure American tax dollars are
helping American companies and workers.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50">The executive order also directs federal agencies to increase the threshold of domestic content – the percentage of a product that must be manufactured in the U.S. to qualify under
Buy American law to be purchased. Enforcement of these new guidelines will fall under a new, senior-level position established under the executive order within the Office of Management and Budget. The Director of Made-in-America will oversee the implementation
of all aspects of the executive order. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50">“President Biden is signaling his commitment to the American worker and economy with this executive order,” Hoffa said. “Buy American policies will be strengthened and enforced under
these new directives and that will only benefit our economy in the long run.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#010D50">Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit <a href="http://www.teamster.org/"><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#1C4483;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">www.teamster.org</span></a> for
more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teamsters"><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#1C4483;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">www.facebook.com/teamsters</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.goiam.org/press-releases/machinists-union-bidens-buy-american-executive-order-is-critical-first-step-toward-bringing-our-jobs-home/">https://www.goiam.org/press-releases/machinists-union-bidens-buy-american-executive-order-is-critical-first-step-toward-bringing-our-jobs-home/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:27.0pt">Machinists Union: Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Executive Order is Critical First Step Toward Bringing Our Jobs Home</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2021</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), released the following statement on the Biden administration’s “Buy American” executive order:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“The Machinists Union applauds the Biden administration’s executive order to strengthen Buy American laws, a key step in creating good manufacturing jobs here at home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“As a candidate, Joe Biden made it clear that U.S. workers will be a priority in his administration. Just a few days into office, President Biden is already beginning to fulfill his promise by setting
in motion a framework long advocated by the IAM that finally removes loopholes to Buy American laws—from lax rules on how U.S. content is calculated to exceptions made when domestic goods are slightly more expensive than foreign goods. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“This executive order is just the beginning. The Machinists Union looks forward to working with the president and his administration to ensure that Buy American lives up to its name. This president
and our union are partnering already to help create U.S. manufacturing jobs, which have been decimated over the past four years.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America and represents nearly
600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2021/usw-commends-executive-order-supporting-domestic-manufacturing">https://www.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2021/usw-commends-executive-order-supporting-domestic-manufacturing</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C;font-weight:normal">USW Commends Executive Order Supporting Domestic Manufacturing<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Contact:</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C"> Jess
Kamm Broomell, 412-562-2444, <a href="mailto:jkamm@usw.org"><span style="color:#004881;text-decoration:none">jkamm@usw.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline;outline: 0px"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway issued
the following statement in response to the announcement that President Joe Biden would today sign an executive order tightening domestic content requirements and narrowing exceptions to existing domestic preference rules for federally funded projects:</span></i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C">“Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy and remains essential to our national defense.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C">“When we undertake federally funded projects, we must ensure that our tax dollars support American production and jobs rather than our foreign competitors, who all too often seek
to undermine our industries by flooding our markets with unfairly traded products.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C">“Today’s order strengthening domestic content requirements, closing loopholes in how domestic content is measured and calling for stricter enforcement of existing legislation like
the Jones Act is an important step toward revitalizing our manufacturing base, as well as protecting and creating thousands of good, family-sustaining jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C">“Further, taking concrete steps to make it easier to identify and utilize U.S. suppliers, as outlined in the order, will help ensure we are efficiently meeting our own needs as
we look to rebuild our long-neglected domestic supply chains.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C">“The Covid-19 crisis demonstrated that we are sorely unprepared to meet our own needs, and this remains true of countless products. If we want to heal our nation in the wake of
the deadly pandemic, we must take bold action to rebuild our economy, creating good jobs and broadly shared prosperity. President Biden’s executive order is a critical part of that effort. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C">“Our nation is long overdue for serious, robust investment in our crumbling infrastructure. Today’s action is crucial not only for rebuilding our nation’s broken economy and making
our country safer, but for laying a foundation so that all of the work that stems from this investment supports American jobs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C">“For too long, we have allowed foreign-made products to dominate our markets. We look forward to working with the Biden administration as together we seek to ensure our federal
policies serve our country’s best interests.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline;outline: 0px"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp
and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.</span></i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#6C6C6C"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Biden Buy American Order Good First Step: Enacting EO’s Goals Will Require Elimination of Trade-Pact Buy American Waivers for
60 Nations</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Statement of Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Note: Today, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to strengthen Buy American policies.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Today’s order will be a good first step and can help rebuild our nation’s economic and health resilience, promote innovation and create American jobs if it translates into
the many Buy American loopholes and waivers actually being eliminated and domestic content rules being strengthened.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Thanks to past presidents granting trade-pact waivers to Buy American, today billions in U.S. tax dollars leak offshore every year because the goods and companies from 60
other countries are treated like they were American for government procurement purposes.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">The Biden campaign platform showed impressive insight by including plans to </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://joebiden.com/made-in-america/"><span style="color:windowtext;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">“Update
the trade rules for Buy American</span></a><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">: Biden will work with allies to modernize international trade rules and associated domestic regulations regarding government procurement to make sure that the
U.S. and allies can use their own taxpayer dollars to spur investment in their own countries.” And by committing to: “…</span> <a href="https://joebiden.com/supplychains/"><span style="color:windowtext">updating trade rules to ensure</span></a> we have strong
understandings with our allies on how to best ensure supply chain security for all of us.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">If the Biden administration’s planned stimulus funds are to be reinvested here to create resilience and jobs, then the massive trade-pact loophole to Buy American needs
to be closed immediately. Otherwise billions will leak out in offshored government procurement contracts.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">And, a cross-agency high standard for Buy American waivers based on price and tighter rules for what qualifies goods as American-made needs to be implemented. As well, the
government needs to recruit small and medium sized manufacturers to produce the goods the government needs, rather than regularly declaring that no domestic goods are available and waiving Buy American rules.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="A3E29F58-0AA3-4707-AA24-B11121FDCEC6" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Products from and Firms in These 60 Countries Get Treated as if They Were U.S. Goods and Firms
Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Moldova, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, UK
Bold = WTO GPA; Italics = FTA
" style='position:absolute;margin-left:174.55pt;margin-top:0;width:225.75pt;height:416.25pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:allowoverlap="f">
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.png@01D6F33E.1D900CF0" o:title="Products from and Firms in These 60 Countries Get Treated as if They Were U.S" />
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="301" height="555" style="width:3.1354in;height:5.7812in" src="cid:image001.png@01D6F33E.1D900CF0" align="right" hspace="12" alt="Products from and Firms in These 60 Countries Get Treated as if They Were U.S. Goods and Firms
Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Moldova, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, UK
Bold = WTO GPA; Italics = FTA
" v:shapes="A3E29F58-0AA3-4707-AA24-B11121FDCEC6"><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">BACKGROUND:
More details are available in <a href="https://mkus3lurbh3lbztg254fzode-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Procurement-from-FTAs.pdf"><span style="color:windowtext">this</span></a> briefing paper, which explains:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Firms
and products from 60 nations with which the United States has trade pacts have been given the same access to U.S. government contracts as domestic firms and goods for all but the lowest-value government contracts. This Buy American waiver is enacted by regulation.
Congress delegated authority to the president to change the waiver list at any time. (19 U.S.C. 2511) </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The
current trade-pact waiver policy offshores our tax dollars rather than investing them to create jobs and innovation at home. These Buy American waiver applies to subsidiaries of firms based in countries that have not signed agreements, such as China, and have
not provided reciprocal access as long as a subsidiary is operating in a country that has a signed a U.S. trade pact. These limits on procurement policy apply to most U.S. federal purchases, with limits for U.S. defense agencies and some specific products
listed in each trade deal.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Setting limits on how our democratically elected federal and state governments can spend our tax dollars on procurement was not a traditional focus of trade agreements.
U.S. firms that offshored production did not want to be excluded from lucrative U.S. government contracts. They pushed for trade pacts to include rules that required companies operating in trade partner countries to be treated like U.S. firms – and foreign-made
goods to be treated as if they were made in America.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The
Procurement Act of 1949 gives a U.S. president broad powers to enact “policies and directives” for federal contracting. President Lyndon Johnson used this authority to issue an executive order in 1965 to prohibit contractors from discriminating against <i>any</i> of
their employees – not just those performing federal work – on grounds of race or gender. President Barack Obama used this authority to set minimum wage and sick leave entitlements for federal contract employees.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The
U.S. government has a long tradition of using its contract spending, which was more than $600 billion in 2019, to promote national policy goals. For instance, a share of federal government contracts must be awarded to small businesses and women- and minority-owned
firms; to qualify for government construction projects, firms must agree to pay workers prevailing wages; and the Buy American Act in effect since the Roosevelt administration requires preferences for purchase of American-made products. Indeed, the president
has the authority under the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 to ban altogether government purchase of goods from countries such as China that have not signed trade pact procurement agreements.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Even
if the underlying notion of offshoring our tax dollars in exchange for providing opportunities for individual U.S. firms to obtain contracts from other governments was a good one, the way it is done in trade pacts is a losing proposition for the United States.
A recent GAO report found that the United States opened <i>twice as much</i> procurement to foreign firms as the next five largest WTO GPA signatories <i>combined</i> (European Union, Japan, South Korea, Norway and Canada). In exchange for some U.S. firms
getting some opportunities to bid on equal terms with domestic firms on contracts in other nations (most of which have much smaller amounts of procurement), almost all U.S. government contracts are made available on terms equal to U.S. firms for all firms
operating in 60 other countries</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">These
constraints are </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">enacted through a waiver of Buy American and other domestic procurement preference policies</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> through
regulation, not by statute. The Trade Agreements Act gives the president discretionary authority to waive domestic procurement preferences, <i>but does not require a waiver</i>. This waiver authority has been delegated to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
USTR’s practice is to add new trade agreement countries </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">or countries joining the WTO procurement agreement </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">to
a list found at 48 CFR 25.400.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://aflcio.org/press/releases/bidens-buy-american-executive-order-will-boost-economy">https://aflcio.org/press/releases/bidens-buy-american-executive-order-will-boost-economy</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A">Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Executive Order Will Boost Economy<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<em><span lang="EN" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A">Statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on President Joe Biden’s executive order on tightening “Buy American” provisions:</span></em><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A"><br>
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</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A">The concept of Buy American is simple: Our tax dollars should be used to create jobs and advance production here at home. For far too long, America’s workers have
suffered as many corporations wrap themselves in the American flag and simultaneously seek out loopholes to qualify for Buy American status with foreign-made products. </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A">The Trump administration used the right words but never put in place policies to affect meaningful change. This executive order will close loopholes that allow agencies
to sidestep Buy American requirements and increase the thresholds for domestic content. We know that when America’s workers are given a level playing field, we can compete with anyone. This order is a good first step in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing, which
Trump’s policies failed to do over the past four years. </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A">As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we will work with the Biden administration to pursue policies that will build a stronger, fairer economy with a robust manufacturing
base, and this executive order is an important piece of that strategy. </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif;color:#373A3A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur Stamoulis<br>
Citizens Trade Campaign<br>
(202) 494-8826<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Arthur Stamoulis<br>
Citizens Trade Campaign<br>
(202) 494-8826<br>
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